Whitecaps coach Sartini's suspension reduced following offside referee joke
Vancouver Whitecaps manager Vanni Sartini will be returning to the club from suspension earlier than expected.
MLS announced today that the manager’s suspension from the end of last season has been reduced by two games.
NEWS | MLS announced that the suspension issued to #VWFC head coach Vanni Sartini will be reduced by two games, following a successful petition.
Sartini will now be on the sidelines for Vancouver’s match against Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 30.
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 18, 2024
This means that he will miss just one more game; a match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Sartini will be back on the sideline for the team’s contest against the Portland Timbers on March 30.
He was originally suspended for a rant made following last season’s playoff loss to LAFC. The game had a very dramatic ending which included referee Timothy Ford colliding with a Whitecaps player, leading to an LAFC goal.
Sartini was very critical of the officiating after the match and made several comments that drew attention, including a joke where he mentioned that if the referee was found in False Creek, he would be the police’s number one suspect.
Sartini was originally suspended five games for his actions. He also received a red card during that loss to LAFC which carries an automatic one-game suspension, totalling six games which he was set to be away from the team for. After this two-game reduction, the total number of games missed will be four.
The Italian coach has been with the club since 2019 and has been working as head coach since August 2021.
The Whitecaps haven’t missed their manager much as of late, as they’re off to their best MLS start since 2012 and have managed to secure seven points from their first three matches. They’re currently in second place in the Western Conference with a game in hand.
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